Opportunities And You

Be careful how you act; these are difficult days…..make the most of every opportunity

God, the creator, gives every human being on the planet opportunities to fulfill his/her destiny. Everyman is, in embryo, a possible hero. All that is needed is the opportunity and time for development.

Opportunity is a favourable time, chance, occasion or set of circumstances for doing something. It is taking full advantage of a situation or circumstance to achieve a goal. One other interesting definition of opportunity is this – It is the preference of what can be done to what should be done.

The difference between a success and a failure, between the poor and the rich is how they manage opportunities that come their way. It is called OPM – Opportunity Management Skills. What was perceived as a problem to the poor was seen as an opportunity by the rich. The opportunity that a successful man capitalized on, was seen as “work” by the man who failed. In this session, permit me to share with you how you can improve your skills in managing opportunities.

1. Watch out for opportunities

There is something interesting about opportunities. They are everywhere! They are all around you. Watch out consciously for them. Opportunities mostly come disguised as problems. Infact, every problem presents an opportunity for a solution. In other words, there are actually more opportunities than are problems! The problem of electricity was Faraday’s opportunity. The problem of nuclear energy was Albert Einstein’s opportunity. The list is endless. Recognizing opportunities is sure the beginning of making the best of them. Most times, opportunities wear an overall labeled “WORK”. Don’t run away from them. They are stepping stones to greater heights. All through his life, Joseph was always watching out for opportunities to interpret dreams – at home, in the prison, until he interpreted the dream of a King, and then became a prime minister. Look for problems around you and see them as opportunities for greatness.

2. Go for Opportunities

Success is not just how many opportunities that comes your way. It is dependent on the number of opportunities well utilized. Explore every opportunity that comes your way. Don’t just wish for opportunities, work it! When you see an opportunity, take it. Go for it. I remember several years ago when an opportunity presented itself to me. I was relatively unknown in my fellowship back in University then. A friend invited me to his birthday and I was asked to share a few words for a couple of minutes. Since many executive members of the fellowship were in attendance, I felt a little worried and concerned. Thanks to God I took this opportunity, for it was the beginning of several cycles of opportunities that brought the best out of me in that same University. Don’t just watch out for opportunities, but go for them when they show up.

The secret of success is to be ready for opportunities when they come

3. Respect Opportunities

A lot of times, people despise small things. They disrespect certain opportunities to their own perils. Never underestimate an opportunity, no matter how small it seems. Give every opportunity your best shot! I have discovered that one opportunity well utilized, will give birth to at least one other. Opportunities are like chain reactions linked to each other. If you disrespect a seemingly small opportunity, you may be eating up your destiny for lunch. Imagine that Joseph didn’t respect the opportunity that came his way to interpret the dream of the Butler and the Baker in prison. Imagine that he despised it and said to himself “my anointing is greater than interpreting dreams for prisoners. These guys are not at my level”. He would most likely have been forgotten in prison. May I encourage you to please respect every opportunity that God brings your way?

4. Prepare for Opportunities

The importance of this cannot be overemphasized. The reason why many people remain where they are is that when opportunities appear, they are not prepared for it. Listen. If you are trying to be ready when you are supposed to be ready, you are already late! It is better to be prepared and not have any opportunity, than to have an opportunity and not be prepared. Men of purpose always prepare for opportunities. They cannot afford to waste time, because to them, even time is an opportunity. How prepared are you for your opportunity?

Joseph was well prepared for his opportunities. When Pharaoh sent for him, he shaved, changed his clothes, and appeared before him the way a man should appear before a King. I perceive in my Spirit that he already chose a cloth for the occasion. He was so prepared. Everyday, opportunities for greatness are passing your way. How prepared are you?

There is a principle I call the P6 theorem. Proper Prayerful Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. When you fail to prepare for your opportunities, then be prepared to fail! It’s that simple.

I like the way a wise man puts it. He said “the secret of success is to be ready for opportunities when they come”.

If you use these principles, I am sure you will improve your Opportunity Management Skill and will be a better individual.

You are a miracle. Go and happen!

You Have What It Takes - Part II

In my last post, I started sharing on the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 – where I highlighted that it was the most popular miracle in the life and ministry of Jesus in flesh. It is the only miracle documented by all the 4 gospels, and perhaps one witnessed by the largest crowd (most likely >10,000 people including women and children). We zoomed in to consider the lessons imminent in this very interesting account. We considered 2 powerful lessons already. They are:

1. The easiest way out is not always the best way out

The disciple’s solution to the problem was to send the people away to nearby towns and villages. They wanted to push the responsibility away. Jesus instructed otherwise “Give then something to eat”.

2. Break it down

We often overestimate problems when we consider them in very large chunks. Jesus asked the people to sit down in groups of fifties, perhaps trying to see what works with a smaller group, and then, reapplying to a larger group. Don’t be overwhelmed by the sheer weight and size of the problem. Break it down into smaller bits.

I encourage you to read the full post if you haven’t already, but let me conclude by sharing 2 other principles that I discovered in this story.

3. Give thanks, always.

There was no way 5 loaves and 2 fishes were going to feed 5,000 men - humanly speaking that is. Once Jesus had the loaves in His hands, He lifted them up to heaven, and gave thanks. He was thanking God for what he had, knowing for sure that he would provide what he needed. I know several of us would have prayed if we found ourselves in the situation that Jesus found himself, but I think for most our prayers would have been different. We would most likely have been praying for multiplication, and binding any force that tried to resist us. Jesus gave thanks. When you thank God for His finger, then, you are setting up yourself to see His hands! It is easy to give thanks when you have enough, when things are going fine and everything seems all together. What do you do when you don't have enough? Do you thank Him when you don't even feel like? Here, Jesus was faced with a situation that could have been very embarrassing. He chose to give thanks. Instead of complaining about the business you lost, thank Him that you didn't lose your mind.

In the words of Zig Ziglar “Of all the "attitudes" we can acquire, surely the attitude of gratitude is the most important and by far the most life-changing”. An attitude of gratitude qualifies you for greater blessings. Be grateful for things you have and God will be compelled to give you what you don’t have. Thank him for today and he will guarantee your tomorrow. Multiplication is not far from grateful people. Even in our day to day, don’t you tend to give more to or more inclined to do more for those who show appreciation for what you gave or did the last time?

4. War against wastage

In the story (John’s account of it), Jesus instructed His disciples to gather up the fragments. He said “Gather the leftovers so nothing is wasted…” I am sure you know and agree that he wasn't doing this just to fulfill tomorrow's bread needs. The same power that provided this could provide the next day. He was teaching a principle - wage war against waste.

I am convinced that our country and our continent would be a better place, if we wage war against waste. Look around you, and you would see waste – waste of time, waste of money, waste of resources, waste of talents and so much more. We are a wasteful nation. Have you visited any government parastatal recently? You’d be lucky to get in 1 week, what should normally take you just a few hours. Compare our budget figures with what we actually spent at the end of the year. You will feel like crying. Typically, only about 10-20% of the funds budgeted gets to where they are used. The rest is lost in transit! Someone must take his part before he signs the appropriation. Do you know how much the last administration supposedly spent on road repairs? Yet, our roads are still in a deplorable state.

Do you want to be successful in your personal and business life? I suggest you wage a war against wastage. No matter how much you try to fill a bucket that is leaking with water, you will not achieve much. The wise thing to do at first is to block or fix the leakage. Fix the avenues of wastes and in good time, the bucket will be full. Check your finances for waste. Do you have a budget? Are you sticking to your budget or are you eating with all your fingers. Are you just spending without any thought of the future? Don’t be the present day version of the prodigal son.

I challenge you to war against this evil today, whilst giving thanks and see how God prospers you thereafter.

You Have What It Takes

For the past few days, I have been reading about one of Jesus' many miracles - the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000. It is interesting to note that this miracle is perhaps one of the most popular ones in Jesus' days. Little wonder all the four gospels documented it. Apart from this, it was perhaps one of his miracles that affected the most number of people - five thousand men, apart from women and children. If the data comparing the ratio of men to women in "spiritual" gathering is anything to go by, then we would be counting > 10,000 people present at this meeting.

Let's take a closer look at what happened here, and lessons to learn from it, especially in these times.

The disciples had just returned from a very successful evangelistic outreach. The master gave them power before the task, and they exercised this successfully - healing the sick and preaching the good news. Jesus took them aside into a solitary place when they returned back. However, the crowd got wind of this, and followed them. In fact, one of the gospels said that the crowd went ahead of them to the other side. But this wasn't the problem. They had an exhausted and a hungry crowd, who needed food, and needed it fast. The 1st problem they had was that they were in the desert, a solitary place - in the middle of nowhere. No shelter. No kiosks. No supermarkets. No hotels. Just in the middle of nowhere. Add this to the fact that it was already getting dark. It was already late evening, and they didn't have much time to come up with a very detailed and well thought out plan or solution. You can guess they were running out of time and of ideas too. The disciples were very concerned. How would they handle such a crowd? How much would they have to spend to feed them? I can imagine Peter asking the accountant how much was left in the purse. Hear Philip already advising "two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them all to have just a bite". Andrew, perhaps with the optimism that was as a result of the successful evangelistic outreach then opined "there is a little boy here with five barley loaves and two fishes, but that's a drop in the bucket for a crowd like this". In one sentence, he gave an idea and seems to kill the same idea he gave. This was the situation before Jesus stepped in, performed His most popular miracle, and left us with great lessons to glean from. May I share some of these with you?

1. The easiest way out is not always the best way out

After all the initial permutations and analysis, the disciples came up with a verdict - send the people away, to nearby villages and towns, where they can get something to eat, and places to sleep. It seemed a pretty good idea, didn't it? "Let's not take responsibility for them". “We don't have what it takes to solve their problem". Let's just take the easy way out - send them away. After all, they won't blame us if we do. They would know we care for their safety and for their belly. Jesus however would not have that. He was not one to shy away from a challenge. He would never send anyone away empty handed. “You give them something to eat", he instructed His disciples. The easy way out of a problem is not always the best solution. Imagine if the crowd had been dismissed, we would have missed the record of this miracle and the lessons from it. What challenges are you facing at the moment? May I encourage you not to just take the easy way out? Don't give up on yourself and on your dreams because of the prevailing obstacles. Don't run away from a problem, thinking that would solve it. Face it head on, and trust God to give you the wisdom to address it. Don't compromise on your integrity just to get that job! You don't have to secure that contract by doing what everyone else is doing. You don't have to sleep with a guy just to prove that you love him, and get him to marry you. Hold yourself to high standards. Don't take the easy way out - it is often the loser’s way.

2. Break it down

Jesus taught another very powerful principle here - break it down to small chunks. He told his disciples “Make them sit down in groups of fifties". Why would he say this? Couldn't He go ahead and feed the > 5,000 people all at once? I am sure he could have. Here, he was showing us how to break down our “big" problems into smaller chunks. He was confirming the saying that the easiest way to eat an elephant is one piece at a time. I believe that whatever Jesus asked the disciples to do in this story, he wanted them to test it with a group of 50 first, learn what works and what doesn't work, and improve as they go to another set of 50.

Recently, I was leading a discussion in a large group. In order to make it participative, we broke down the group into 4, and each group had to rotate through different booths to learn different things. I must confess that the 1st group we handled was very clumsy and almost a disaster. We had planned how the session would go to the finest detail. However, we were just testing all my plans with this group. It didn't go that well, even in our own estimation. By the time the 2nd group came, we had removed all the things that didn't work with the 1st group and came up with a refined way of passing the message. By the time we were handling the 4th group, it was a blast and it became a discussion point for the rest of the meeting. I believe this was what Jesus was trying to teach here. Break it down. Attack your problems in phases. Don't be overwhelmed by the sheer weight and size of your issue. If you break it down to simpler bits then, your "big" problem would be easier to solve. If you see that ladder as individual rungs, climbing won't be that tough.

I would share 2 more lessons I learnt in my next post. Until then, stay fit in Him!

God's Hall Of Fame - II

I mentioned something that I hope you didn't miss in my last post. It is very common to hear comments about church services, bible studies and prayer meetings. " service was awesome today", " we really felt God's presence", and all these are common phrases used by Christians to qualify what they felt. My question was (and still is), when last did God said "that was good" after your worship? When last did he derive so much pleasure from your worship that He wished it would never end?May I suggest to you that God's favorite services are not the same as ours? Too many times, we come to God's presence only to get something from Him, and not to minster to Him. Psalm 103:1 lstill reads " Bless the Lord, O my soul" - but we often practice, " O my Lord, bless my soul". I believe this was what happened to Enoch in the Old testament. "And Enoch walked with God and he was not". Awesome isn't it? God so much enjoyed fellowship with this individual and they "gisted" so much until Enoch practically walked into heaven! May I tell you that God is still in search of such intimacy today?

When last did God said "that was good" after your worship?

What qualifies people for God's hall of fame is not riches. It is not affluence. It has nothing to do with how many spiritual titles you bear or carry. It has nothing to do with how many years you have been serving the Lord. It is simply a heart of worship - a heart that is ready to pour itself out on the master with reckless abandon. It is a heart that is more interested in anointing the master, rather than looking for his anointing. I remember how much I sought for "the anointing" when I was growing up as a young Christian - several days of fasting and prayer, of waiting in God's presence and all that. There is nothing wrong with that by all means. However, little did I realize that God is also interested in anointers. He is interested in "being anointed". He is looking for those who will anoint Him in worship. This is what Mary Madgalene did that won her a place in God's hall of fame.

In Marks gospel, Chapter 14 and starting from verse 6, we are again introduced to the story of a true worshipper. She had earlier anointed the feet of Jesus in Simon's house (read the 1st part in my previous note), and was back to anoint Jesus shortly before His death. In this account, we were told she poured all the oil on the masters head. I don't want to get into the theology of whether the 2 accounts are one and the same or not. The point here is this - while others were with the Master for what they could get, a true worshipper was with Him for what she could give. We see Mary again, breaking her alabaster box and pouring out all it's content on the master. Interestingly enough, she got a lot of knocks for what she did from everyone present, including the disciples, except from someone - the master Himself, who was enjoying Her worship and taking pleasure in it. Their reaction to Mary's worship is worthy of mention - they were furious, indignant, and very angry. I do not know why. Isn't it the same today as it was then? True worshippers are labeled as wasters! In this busy and fast paced world, who wants to "waste time" worshipping, when you can use the time to be a blessing to the poor and minister to the needs of others? Wouldn't you rather minister to the masters needs? Think about that. The Masters reaction was quite different. He said " Why are you giving this woman a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me.........You can be sure that wherever in the world this message is preached , what she has just done is going to be remembered and admired." Need I say anything more?

The point here is this - while others were with the Master for what they could get, a true worshipper was with Him for what she could give.

Even when the master was already dead and buried in the tomb, the story of a worshipper still continues! Mary still longed to anoint Jesus's body after he was long gone. This proves to us that she wasn't really after what she would get from this. The master couldn't do anything again now. All the others had long gone back to their homes and back to their work. But not a worshipper. Oh, the love of an anointer. I believe Jesus was really touched by this that He had to stop one more time to address this worshipper. He came so close to Mary that he had to warn her not to touch Him. The anointer was the last to leave Calvary and the 1st to arrive at the tomb. Again, when last did you have such an encounter with God? When last did you leave his presence, and God would be looking forward to you returning again for more?

Can we stop chasing shadows and focus on our true reason for existing - for He created us to worship Him. Are you a worshipper?

God's Hall Of Fame

What qualifies people to enter the hall of fame? The answer to this question lies on who is giving the answer.

To enter into the world's hall of fame, the answer seems pretty obvious - wealth, beauty, royalty, a good name, prestige and many more such things. With God, the yardstick is very different! God's definition of a hero is way different from ours. The hall-of-fame in God's kingdom has nothing to do with all I have mentioned above. It rather has everything to do with touching God's heart. In God's hall of fame, you would see the uncommon and "unworthy names" like that of Mary Magdalene, the street girl, who touched His heart.

Now I assure you that wherever this gospel is preached all over the world, what she has done would be told in memory of her

Matthew 26: 13

Isn't that quite interesting? I have been reading the story of this woman from the different books of the Bible, and from 2 other Christian literatures in the last couple of days, and with each passing day, I am realizing how much there is to learn from her. There were 3 different accounts of her either anointing the Lord Jesus or attempting to do so (after His death and burial ). In all the accounts, one thing is certain - this was a woman who didn't give a hoot about what others thought about her. All she cared about was her worship to the master. She stooped low, gave her all - her worship, and in the process commanded heavens attention. In the midst of all the Pharisees ( the religious leaders of her days) and the 12 disciples ( the Deacons, the Pastors and Bishops), her worship of the master came up for special mention, so much so that she entered into heavens hall of fame, while the others watched on!

In Luke 7, Apostle Luke detailed the 1st account of this woman. She must have gate crashed this party. She was definitely not invited, and for sure, not welcome. A certain Pharisee, Simon, had invited Jesus over to his house for dinner and Jesus obliged. Everyone in town knew Simon. He was a good man, religious, and upwardly mobile. Everyone also knew Mary- the popular street girl, the prostitute. No one certainly expected her at such an event. Somehow she got in, and gave us the opportunity to learn a very big lesson.

I have been wondering how Simon, being a Pharisee who pays a lot of attention to outward appearance, missed washing Jesus's feet. If not for Jesus' sake, I thought he would have done that out of religious courtesy, or out of a need to keep his rugs and carpets clean! Somehow he didn't and no one seemed to care. No one, except Mary. I am sure there would have been at least 12 other persons there (if all the disciples were present), but no one cared. There were carried away by other matters. I suppose that Simon got a little worried on sighting Mary. " How on earth did this woman get in here? Who allowed her in?" he must have been asking.

Mary came to the party with a box, an alabaster box. It was probably her most priced possession. She decided to do what Simon didn't do. She washed the masters feet with her tears, dried them with her hair (which is her glory) and anointed it with her most priced possession. In simple terms, she emptied herself on Him. She gave Him real worship. She poured herself on the master, not minding who was watching or who wasn't.

Make no mistake, it took humility and brokenness for Mary to wipe the Lord's feet with her hair. If you understand that in Jesus' time, open sandals were commonly used, and most travelers in Israel shared the same roads with Camels, Horses and Donkeys, then, you will begin the appreciate her gesture more. What a picture of humble worship Mary provides.

When last have you worshipped the master with reckless abandon - without being all together and politically correct? When last has your worship brought the master so much satisfaction? When last has God said " that was good" after your worship? Little wonder why the master dismissed Mary, forgiving her of her many sins, and saying " Your faith has saved you ; go in peace " .

Selah.

You Can Dream Again!

Have you ever been in a situation where all hope seems lost and it’s like you’ll never come out of it? Have you ever had a situation that just proves impossible? Have you ever been in the middle of a crisis and you couldn't think of a way out? Have you ever believed so much in a thing and it didn't work out the way you planned it? You are not alone.

“Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone was rolled aside from the entrance”

John 20:1 – Living Bible

It's a dark Sunday morning. It’s been dark since Friday. It’s been dark as a result of events that took place in those longs hours between Friday and Sunday.

It has been dark because of Peter’s denial. He had denied his Lord and Master on three different occasions. On one occasion, he swore that he never knew him when confronted by a teenage girl. It was still dark.

It has been dark because of the disciples' betrayal. No one except John had the courage to travel with Jesus all the way. They were all scattered abroad. They ran for their dear lives. Permit me to say that it was not only Judas who betrayed his Lord. Majority of the disciples did. They fled when Jesus needed them most. It was still dark.

It has been dark because of Pilate’s cowardice. Read the account of Jesus’ betrayal and you’ll be amazed at the cowardice of a whole King. His name Pilate means close pressed or firm. You will agree with me that he was anything but firm on this particular day. He was being controlled by the crowd. He yielded to their wish even though he was dead sure it was a wrong thing to do. It was still dark.

It has been dark because of Christ’s anguish. He must have gone through so much pain. How about a slap from one of the military officers after blindfolding him? What about the crown of thorns placed on his head? What about the heavy wood he had to carry most of the way down to Golgotha? What about the stripes that had to go round his exposed body? Consider the spiting, cursing and humiliation. What about the spikes that went through the hands that healed the sick? Oh, what anguish? No wonder it was still dark!

It has been dark because of Satan’s glee. There was a party in hell over the events on Friday. As far as the devil and his cohorts were concerned, they were in charge now. The Son of God was dead and it was their time. It was still dark.

All these happened since Friday but it was still dark on Sunday morning. The only ember of light this morning was with a band of women standing at a distance from the grave. They were the last to leave Calvary and the first to arrive at the grave. However, this morning promises nothing except an encounter with a corpse. They never imagined this could be the 1st Easter. They were not hoping the grave would be vacant. There was a time they dared to dream such dreams but not now. It’s too late for the incredible. The feet that walked on water had been pierced. The hands that cleansed lepers had been stilled. There noble aspirations had been spiked to yesterday’s cross. Their dreams appeared dead and long forgotten.

Have you ever got to a junction like this in your life? A junction where everything seems dark? Where there seems to be no way forward? Where everything just appeared gloomy? Before you give up and throw in the towel, would you please follow me and see what happened afterwards?

Though it’s been dark hitherto, a miracle was just around the corner this Sunday morning. A double surprise was waiting for these women in quick succession!

First, the stone of the sepulchre had been rolled away! They must have been thinking of how to gain access to the sepulchre on their way there. But to their surprise, the stone was no longer there. As if that was not enough, they couldn’t find the body of Jesus in the grave again. While still wondering what could have happened, an angel explained to them that Jesus was risen as it had been written! “You cannot be looking for the living among the dead”, the angel said. Suddenly, the darkness since Friday began to lift! A fresh hope sprang up in these women and later in the minds of the disciples.

After all the darkness, light shone. The greater the darkness, the brighter the glory of light. No wonder it was a special Sunday morning, one that we still celebrate till today. It was a morning with a great message of hope. That resurrection morning had a great message – It is Alright to Dream Again! Yes it is. The resurrection of Christ gives you this opportunity to dream again! To believe, to hope!

Happy Easter.

The Law Of Use

I often speak and write about Laws. I do this for a number of reasons. First, laws are universal. They apply equally to everyone. They are no respecter of persons. Everyone who jumps up will come down - the colour of his skin is immaterial neither is his ability to speak “conc” tongues. Second, laws are inviolable. No one can violate them without suffering the consequences. It takes a higher law to break a lower one. Thirdly, laws are immutable. They do not change. They hold true for ever and are the same anywhere, anyday, and any time. This simply means that laws gives predictability to events. If you follow a law strictly, you are guaranteed of the effect/reward.

I recently read again a story in the holy creed that amazed me. It is often referred to as The Parable of Talents. It opened my eyes to several points on what I call The Law of Use. May I please share it with you?

A certain man gave each of his three servants an amount of money, “each according to his ability” (Mt 25:15). This man (referred to as The Master) knew their ability and gave them opportunity anyway. His basic expectation to them all was to do business with it and make profit. The 1st one, who had five bags of money went and traded with it and got five more. The 2nd one, who had two bags, did the same thing and got another two. The 3rd servant, who got one bag, dug a hole in the ground and hid his mater’s bag of money there. Later, the master had his servants give account of what they had done with the resources at their disposal. In the same vein like this story, God has given us all something (ability, resource, insight, revelation), and He holds us accountable for what we do with it. One day, He will ask us to give an account.

The 1st two servants gave good accounts of what they had done with their talents and how they had made a 100% profit with it. The account given by the 3rd servant is worth examining.

He said, “Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.” (Mt 25:24-25).

Take note of a couple of points

- The servant claimed he acted out of fear of the master; he placed emphasis on master’s perceived hardness. He was shifting blames and justifying his actions.

- I suggest two motives: fear (servant afraid for his own well-being), or laziness (little wonder the master did not give him much responsibility even from the beginning).

- If servant was afraid but aggressive, he would have done whatever was necessary to earn a profit; but he was lazy, so he simply tried to protect himself.

- Master’s evaluation: “You wicked and lazy servant!” It is wicked to leave resources at your disposal unused! Hmmm……are you wicked too? What are you doing with all the untapped resources at your disposal? I think it’s bearable to be called lazy. But wicked? That’s not a good title!

- Quantity wasn’t as big a problem as laziness: “You should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest”. It would just have been okay if he made an extra bag of money for his master. He would have made 100% profit too. I am sure that even 50% profit would have showed some efforts and would have been rewarded accordingly. Who wouldn’t be excited with a 50% profit, even in today’s world?

May I just summarize all these points simply? "Use it or lose it!"

God entrusts us all with resources so we can advance His kingdom and He would hold us accountable for those resources. If we do not use those resources effectively, we will lose them.

The Law of Use also applies to our day to day life. It governs the growth of individuals, corporations and nations. If you use the resources available to you, you will improve those resources and also develop new ones. Some other ideas/action points around the everyday life are -

*Exercise your muscles and they become stronger.
*Submit yourself to training and you improve your abilities.
*Read Bible and pray and you will grow spiritually.
*Exercising 5 minutes once a month won’t do much for you; exercising 15mins daily for 6 months will work “miracles”
*Invest money at 8% for one week, have little to show for it; invest it for 1 to 2 years and you get a good return on investment.

Even with a small, insignificant beginning, applying the Law of Use can produce great results.

You are lifted!

No Limit

Have you ever thought about what you could do, if you really decided to? I'm not merely talking about what your skills, education and talents are capable of. I'm talking about what is really possible for you. There is a very real possibility that you can do virtually anything. Not alone, not without new information, but certainly within your ultimate grasp.

Think for a moment. What would you like to do if you are not limited by anything? What is the one thing you will like to achieve if you have all the money, connection, information etc needed at your disposal? Write that thing down. Can I tell you something? You can achieve whatever it is that you have written down! Yes, you can.

You are not limited to the life you now live. It has been accepted by you as the best you can do at this moment. Any time you're ready to go beyond the limitations currently in your life, you are capable of doing that by choosing different thoughts.

We each earn the income we do today because that is the amount we have limited ourselves to earn. We could easily earn 5, 10, 20 times more if we did not limit ourselves through the thoughts we maintain. Don't believe that's true? Surely you know people who earn much more than you who don't have your education, your skills, or your intelligence. So why do they earn more than you?

I love the story of George Dantzig that Cynthia Kersey wrote about in her book “Unstoppable”. As a college student, George studied very hard and always late into the night. So late that he overslept one morning, arriving 20 minutes late for class. He quickly copied the two math problems on the board, assuming they were the homework assignment. It took him several days to work through the two problems, but finally he had a breakthrough and dropped the homework on the professor's desk the next day.

Later, on a Sunday morning, George was awakened at 6 a.m. by his excited professor. Since George was late for class, he hadn't heard the professor announce that the two unsolvable equations on the board were mathematical mind teasers that even Einstein hadn't been able to answer. But George Dantzig, working without any thoughts of limitation, had solved not one, but two problems that had stumped mathematicians for thousands of years.

Simply put, George solved the problems because he didn't know he couldn't.

Where some of us have seen only limitations of the world or ourselves, others have gone on, with courage and imagination, exploring new worlds, achieving great dreams, ignoring warnings that “it” can’t be done. The evidence of the unstoppable human spirit is everywhere. We have dammed rivers, dug canals, cured diseases, invented thousands of labor-saving machines, and forged roads across towering mountains. We have created global networks of communication and travel. We have touched the moon.

"keep reminding yourself that you have tremendous reservoirs of potential within you, and therefore you are quite capable of doing anything you set your mind to..."

Bob Proctor tells us to "keep reminding yourself that you have tremendous reservoirs of potential within you, and therefore you are quite capable of doing anything you set your mind to. All you must do is figure out how you can do it, not whether or not you can. And once you have made your mind up to do it, it's amazing how your mind begins to figure out how."

Isn’t that worth thinking about?